As we were running down from the rooftop to the first floor, a heavy Kwah-ang echoed once more.

There was no time to waste.

Not knowing how much longer the door would hold, we all quickly rushed out of the building.

Outside, the air was thick with dust stirred up by the monster crashing into the gymnasium.

When Mei waved her hand, a gust of wind blew, slowly clearing the dust.

The monster that had slammed into the gymnasium door turned away slowly, as if repeating a task, taking heavy steps away from the door.

Though it had seemed quite large from above, seeing it up close was an entirely different kind of pressure.

Even if a beast is only about the same size as a human, it can put forth a strength that dwarfs humans.

Let alone when it stands on all fours, with its gaze positioned higher than a human standing on two legs; just how powerful could it be?

While an esper is stronger than a regular person, monsters are similarly much stronger than ordinary beasts.

“Since a direct confrontation is going to be difficult, let’s try to draw its attention as much as we can. If it gets distracted, we’ll take it away from the gym as far as possible. If anyone seems in danger, someone else should protect them, and Jessie should be far back, ready to support anyone who looks like they’re in trouble with telekinesis.”

Just as Mei said, a direct confrontation was absolutely impossible.

Therefore, our goal was to draw the monster’s attention and prevent it from targeting the gymnasium.

Of course, drawing attention itself was a crazy task.

But since we had to do it, we raced from the rooftop, using our own bodies like red cloths in this death-defying bullfight against that monstrous creature.

The kids raised their voices to draw the monster’s attention.

“Look at me!”

“Over here! You stupid cow-headed idiot!”

The monster, plodding through the courtyard with its back to the gymnasium door, turned to look at us.

As it began to charge toward us, we prepared to run, but the beast, seemingly indifferent to us, withdrew its gaze and continued walking.

“Is it ignoring us? Hey, hold your shield up for a sec.”

Thinking the noise was insufficient, Daniel began banging on Andre’s shield with his spear, creating loud thud, thud, thud sounds.

However, the monster seemed to have completely tuned us out; it didn’t even glance our way.

“Ugh, it’s not even paying attention! What do we do now?”

Jessie, who had been straining herself trying to get the beast’s attention, gasped out, her voice fraught with confusion.

“Well, we just have to make it pay attention somehow, even if we have to force it,” Daniel replied, stopping his banging on the shield and looking at his spear.

“I bet if we hit it hard, it’ll get angry and look our way. Either way, if it charges at us, we’ll have to run without using our weapons, right?”

Daniel stretched his left arm forward, aiming at the monster, and with his right arm still gripping the spear, pulled it over his shoulder.

This attack sacrificed aim for sheer power.

With the powerful physique of an esper, his entire body became one giant bow.

“I haven’t practiced throwing much… but…”

To build up strength, he took a few steps forward.

“But hitting a target that big should be simple!”

With a bold shout, he released the taut bowstring.

PAAAAANG—

Daniel’s spear sliced through the air with a terrifying sound.

But as it struck the monster, it ricocheted with a sound so puny it was almost pathetic, simply ping.

“Huh…?”

His once-confident voice was now filled with surprise.

We all shared in that feeling of disbelief.

The monster didn’t even flinch at Daniel’s attack.

It didn’t react at all.

The monster walked right into the center of the courtyard.

The direction it was heading? Not towards us, but towards the gymnasium door.

At this rate, there was no reason for us to have come down at all.

We had to stop it by any means possible.

“We can’t let it run freely!”

As Mei’s urgent voice rang out, we were all already sprinting toward the monster.

Even when we reached right next to it, the beast still seemed completely uninterested in us.

Jessie used her telekinesis to retrieve Daniel’s spear, which had fallen to the ground, returning it to him.

The rest of us surrounded the monster.

“Aim for its legs!”

Each of us targeted a leg with all our might.

Daniel stabbed with his spear,

Andre swung with his shield,

Mei slashed with her sword,

And my fiery fist struck the monster’s leg.

Yet, even against all our attacks, the monster continued to stride forward as if it felt nothing.

Even for a mid-level monster, it was unbelievable that it wouldn’t suffer a scratch from such concentrated attacks.

Unless it was one specific type of monster.

“Damn it, our attacks aren’t getting through! This thing is a Sloth Monster!”

“Why is such a rare species here?!”

The kids sighed in despair.

Mid-level monsters carry special abilities unlike low-level ones.

The powers held by these monsters stemmed from the abilities of the witches that influenced their birth.

Almost all mid-level monsters possess the ability of “gluttony,” which increases their regeneration the more they eat. Some can trap individuals in a specific space, using an ability called “greed,” just like the illusion Eve demonstrated on her first day at school.

While they can’t be compared to real witches, their abilities are nevertheless terrifying.

And among those rare ones, the Sloth ability is devastatingly simple.

It has the power to halve damage from external attacks.

This meant that this type of monster was known to be impossible for students to deal with.

Our attacks left not a single scratch on the beast.

Mei struck with her sword; Daniel pierced with his spear and sprayed water orbs, and I thrust my fiery fists at it—all to no avail.

So instead of trying to inflict wounds, we focused on trying to slow it down.

The three of us who were close clung to the monster while Andre used his enhanced physique to hold onto it, with Jessie trying to immobilize its legs with telekinesis.

For a brief moment, it seemed like the monster’s steps slowed down, but it quickly regained its speed.

No matter how hard we tried, the monster marched straight for the gymnasium door.

Its steps quickened.

Everyone hanging onto the monster was thrown off.

Once it gained momentum, nothing could stop it, just like how a train wouldn’t slow down for someone jumping in front of it.

Unable to stop the monster, another tremendous crash followed, sounding Kwah-an, with shockwaves spreading once again.

Dust rose and then settled.

The door, now visibly splintered and shedding fragments, showed signs of giving way.

At this rate, the door could only withstand one more hit at most, maybe two.

Each crash against it was undoubtedly stronger than our combined attacks.

Yet the monster appeared unfazed even after its countless impacts against the door.

This indicated that blocking it was simply out of the question for us.

That heavy realization weighed down on me.

Even so, we didn’t give up, shouting as we rushed back toward the monster, which had turned its back on the door, heading toward the center of the courtyard.

Even when I climbed onto its head and tried to attack its eyes, it didn’t work.

As the monster shook its head, Daniel, who had been perched up high, was knocked away, and Jessie managed to catch him with her telekinesis.

Our desperate actions seemed utterly meaningless.

Then, perhaps because we had stirred the dust and obstructed its vision, the monster changed course slightly.

In the direction it was headed remained Jessie, who had fallen behind.

Panic flashed across her face.

“Run!!!”

I lunged toward her as a dreadful chill ran down my spine.

When I looked ahead, Mei was already running toward Jessie.

Behind us, we heard the monster beginning to charge, and Jessie, pale-faced, turned and fled.

Due to Jessie’s relatively lower physical abilities compared to the rest of us, there was no way she could outrun the monster’s charge.

The horrifying sound of its feet drew closer.

Right in front of Mei, Jessie was running.

[■■■■■■■-!!!]

The monster roared, and Mei tackled Jessie, sending them both flying sideways.

At that moment, the tremor I felt behind me began to lighten.

The monster, anticipating our movements, slightly slowed down its speed, preparing to change direction towards the kids lying on the ground.

Chills ran down my spine.

Then, once more, I felt the tremor directly behind me.

The image of Mei, frozen in my vision during training, crossed my mind.

“Ugh… Aaaah!”

I screamed and threw myself desperately.

Rolling on the ground with Jessie and Mei in my embrace, I felt a heavy impact on my back, as the footsteps of the monster thundered past us.

Jessie, panting heavily, and Mei, gasping from running at full speed, were safe.

Aside from my aching back, I was fortunately unscathed.

If I had collided with that monster, I couldn’t even imagine how it would have ended.

As I steadied myself and glanced back, I spotted Andre and Daniel arriving a little late.

Andre’s shield was lying behind me.

He tossed it to give us a bit more distance, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get there in time.

That was a smart move.

Getting hit by a shield was certainly better than death.

I watched as the monster ran off into the distance before slowly resuming its march toward the center of the courtyard.

The total expression of annoyance in its eyes gave me a glimpse of its thoughts.

The monster knew.

Beyond the gymnasium door lay plenty of defenseless prey, helpless against its might.

Thus, it concluded that breaking the gym door instead of coming after us was less of a hassle.

Just like choosing to devour a sushi roll already prepared rather than fidgeting while trying to eat stubborn peas with chopsticks.

We were nothing more than annoying flies darting around, something it could casually swipe away like a warning.

Our resistance was merely a fractional nuisance for the monster.

That gap in perception left me feeling like giving up.

Despair and helplessness made my hands tremble, and my legs seemed to lose all strength.

However, despite just having escaped death, I saw Mei and Jessie rising back to their feet, helped by Daniel and Andre.

All of them had tears pooling in their eyes.

They were likely feeling the same emotions as I was.

Yet still, the light in their tear-filled eyes sparkled with reflexion of their wills.

Perhaps it was the reason why everyone in the original had perished, even though they could have survived had they fled when the gymnasium door was breached.

The boy who always knew how to light up the mood and make others laugh,

The quiet boy who made everyone feel reassured with his presence,

The girl who, despite her fears, could muster courage and cry for the pain of others,

The girl who was serious and earnest regarding everything, who at times could get shy about expressing her desire for friendship yet endlessly showered kindness upon others,

All of them were being driven to death, all because of emotions swelling within them now.

It was foolish, irrational, and utterly detached from reason.

They were undoubtedly all fools.

As I thought that, a plan suddenly came to mind.

Possibilities and risks.

Contemplating what could go wrong, or even if it succeeded, whether it would be alright was crucial.

Honestly, only negative thoughts flooded my mind, painting a gambling-like plan filled with holes.

Had this been any other time, I likely would have dismissed it entirely as a foolish, irrational, completely unreasonable strategy.

Yet, coming up with it at all meant I was willing to give it a try.

I stared at my trembling hands; my legs felt weak, but they were still functioning.

I had far too much left to regret, and so many things left to receive.

Mei reached out to me.

The emotions shining within her eyes resembled flames, spreading through her hand to me.

I held onto that hand and joined the ranks of the fools.

My hands still shook.

So, for the most critical part of the plan,

I asked myself,

“Are you ready, you fool?”

Instead of an answer, I clenched my fists tightly.

*

We all stood our ground before the Sloth Monster, which was lazily walking.

Seeing insignificant little things suddenly blocking its path, the monster snorted.

I hadn’t said much to the kids.

Just that if they could hold it for even a second, it might help lower the monster’s head.

It wasn’t an easy task, but they nodded their heads resolutely.

Though I hadn’t explained the reasons behind it, they all decided to support my intention to try something.

Before the monster could run again, we quickly conferred on how to execute the plan, finishing our discussion just in time.

Perhaps thinking it would run into us and crush us, the monster dug its front feet into the ground.

And the soil beneath its feet sank, courtesy of Jessie’s telekinesis.

Just as we had anticipated.

Unexpectedly, the weight balance of the monster momentarily faltered.

With its weight tilted forward, the monster’s head dipped down.

All except Jessie and I jumped up, using all the strength we could muster to push down on the monster’s head.

Its head lowered just a bit more.

Finally, the monster’s head reached my eye level.

If it shook its head even once, we would all be sent flying.

With the children propped up on its head, the monster seemed inclined to shake them off at any moment.

So it had to happen now.

“Don’t chicken out; you won’t die!”

Taking a deep breath, I extended my left arm and lightly tapped its snout.

Without igniting any flames.

The Sloth Monster.

As its name implied, it seemed bored by everything and was now aggressively banging into the door just to eat.

This thing, when faced with an easy meal right in front of it, would only respond in one way.

There was a crack from my shoulder, and the monster’s throat bulged noticeably.

A scream rang out from somewhere.

“Don’t worry.”

“This is all according to plan.”

“Everyone, get back!”

I yelled as I pulled away.

The children on the monster’s head jumped off and dashed toward me.

The pain was excruciating, and my vision sparkled, but I managed to endure more than I expected.

Fortunately, the gamble succeeded.

An opponent that could resist external attacks.

The only power I had was to create flames upon my body.

Then, it should be possible to ignite flames on a detached part of my body.

As I intended, my left arm detached, but I still felt a connection lingering.

To alleviate any suspicion, I deliberately refrained from igniting flames.

The monster seemed to fancy this as its eyes curled into crescent shapes.

Seeing the monster smile, I grinned back and said,

“You can’t just keep eating. You pig.”

Fire ignited inside the monster.

The fuel for that fire was my rage against the world.

I hated this world that had abandoned me without reason.

Yet I also recognized that good people existed in this world.

That’s why I couldn’t accept a reality where all those good people had to die.

This rage was greater and burned hotter than anything I’d felt before.

If things had gone as they should, uncontrolled heat would be dangerous, but right now, it didn’t matter.

Unrestricted, the anger that blazed forth from my left arm burned even brighter like logging fuel.

The flames looked like they wouldn’t extinguish until they consumed everything in their vicinity.

As the monster sensed something amiss, it opened its mouth.

What emerged was not a roar, but rather the sound of flames igniting.

Flames surged from its mouth and soon engulfed its entire body.

The fire burned as red as the color of my hair.

The monster, which seemed impossible to bring down, collapsed, surrounded by flames.

As I watched this sight in a daze, I could hear the kids shouting beside me.

“The blood… it won’t stop!”

“Scarlet, stay conscious! Lie down and keep the injury elevated!”

Glaring at the spot where my arm once was, I saw blood flowing profusely.

Was I dazed from losing too much blood?

Panicking, I ignited a small flame in my right hand and pressed it to the bleeding area.

It was more painful than when my arm was severed, and I couldn’t help but emit a groan, but it did stop the bleeding.

The kids gazed at me in astonishment, surprised by my painfully masculine first aid, but there was no other choice if I wanted to survive.

This was the plan I had in mind from the very start.

Jessie wept freely, while the other kids supported me with worried expressions.

The kids were alive, and the people inside the gym were safe.

I was still alive.

It was the best result I could imagine, so I found myself unintentionally smiling.

The burning monster turned to ash, leaving behind a small, dark fragment.

Is it over?

Just as I felt my legs giving way, about to collapse,

[■■■■■■■-!!!]

A familiar roar echoed.

Another monster, resembling the one we had just defeated, was striding towards the school gate.

…This is really absurd.

While I let out a curse, it suddenly dawned on me.

If there had only been one monster, the people inside the gym wouldn’t have been wiped out, even without a door.

There must have been another monster blocking the entrance, leading to total annihilation.

A slight relief washed over me at the thought that there were now two monsters instead of just one from the start.

I forced myself to stay upright, considering whether to sacrifice my right arm or leg for balance,

When suddenly, a blinding light flashed.

“I heard there was something going on at the school, and I rushed here as fast as I could… but I might have been a little late…”

A man’s voice rang out.

The man’s hair and skin color matched someone I knew well.

Relief flooded the children’s eyes.

He was a hero strong enough to rank among the top five, but the quickest of them all.

His golden hair and brown skin were the symbols of the fastest hero.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t arrive sooner. You did well, now take a break.”

Referred to as, [The one who follows the sound].

Leon Lionelle.

With his entrance, the tension eased, and my memory went blank,